Colonial Leaders

Colonial Leaders What Media have sparked revolt in the Middle East?

2nd Continental Congress • 5/10/1775 2nd Cont. Congress assembled , not prepared to break away, members included John & Sam Adams, Patrick Henry, Richard Henry Lee, George Washington, Ben Franklin, who had been in England and helped get Stamp Act repealed, John Hancock, businessman, elected President of 2nd Cont. Cong., Thomas Jefferson, 32 yr old writer from VA • Original idea was 2nd Cont. Con would govern the colonies, Printed Money, set up Post Office w/ Franklin in chrg., • Created the Continental Army, to fight instead of militias, George Washington new commander • Wrote the Olive Branch Petition to avoid war • 6/1776- 2nd Cont. Congress agreed to a committee to draw up a document declaring America’s Independence, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Roger Sherman, Ben Franklin and Robert Livingston

Washington Takes Control • King George III refused Olive Branch Petition, Hired 30,000 German mercenaries to join Brit troops in war • Brit troops in Canada planned to invade NY, Americans acted 1st, captured Montreal in Nov. • Benedict Arnold led an attack on Quebec that failed but they waited outside the city through the winter • Washington arrived in Boston to find an undisciplined army of differing militias, began to train and shape army, • Semi-circle of cannons began firing on Brits in Boston, Sir William Howe and Redcoats withdrew to Halifax, Nova Scotia

Common Sense • Throughout the colonies some hoped to avoid complete break from eng., Independence support growing • 1/1776- Thomas Paine published a pamphlet called Common Sense, calling for complete independence from Britain, argued common sense to break away from a bully like King George • Primary Source Activity

Declaration of Independence • 2nd Cont. Cong. Filled with debate, may issue should they declare independence or stay under Brit control • 4/1776 NC instructed delegates to support independence, 6/7/1776 Richard Henry Lee proposed that the union between the colonies and Eng. Be dissolved and they become a free and independent state • Some colonies not ready to be an independent nation, others argued a war had already begun and Eng. Could not stop the rebellion, committee selected to draft Declaration of Independence, Jefferson wrote it out • Drew on ideas of John Locke (life liberty and property = natural rights)and reasons for proclaiming freedom, people formed Gov’t to protect these rights, Gov’t interfering with these could be overthrown

Declaration of Independence, Contd • 7/2/1776 Congress voted on Lee’s resolution to break away, 12 colonies voted for it, NY did not vote, but later announced it’s support, began reading Jefferson’s draft of the De. Of Ind., few changes made approved on 7/4/1776 • John Hancock 1st to sign, remarked he wrote his name large enough for King Geroge to read w/out his spectacles, 56 delegates signed the document, announcing birth of United States, copies sent out to new states, 7/9/1776 Washington has it read to his troops, in NY city torn down a statue of King George, • Celebrations started all over the country

Declaration of Independence, Cont’s 2 • 4 major sections • The preamble- says that people wishing to form a new country should explain their reasons for doing so, Jefferson included ideas of traditional English political rights • Next 2 sections lists rights colonists believe they should have and complaints against Brits • Final section proclaims creation of a new nation • States that Gov’tis there to protect rights, and if it does not it is the right of the people to establish a gov’t that does, says Americans had petitioned for these rights and been ignored • Ended with “pledging to each other, our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor • Primary source Activity

Colonial Leaders